This year's COP30 failed to reach a consensus on finalising roadmaps and timeframe to phase out fossil fuel. However, UN member countries have been submitting their own Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC) targets for reducing Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emission. Bangladesh has submitted its NDC reports and voluntarily offered to reduce GHG emission and increase renewable energy use. As per the NDC targets Bangladesh pledged to increase its share for electricity generation from renewable sources and reduce its reliance on fossil fuel use.

New report urges Bangladesh to drop LNG and coal projects over governance, environmental and social risks

A new CLEAN report warns that Japan-backed plans for Bangladesh’s Moheshkhali-Matarbari region risk unconstitutional governance, LNG-driven economic burdens, severe environmental damage and mass displacement, urging authorities to cancel fossil-fuel projects and prioritise renewable, rights-based development.

The government has approved 12 new solar power plants, to be established by private firms, with a combined capacity of 918 megawatts (MW).

The power ministry will buy electricity from these plants at an estimated cost of around Tk 40,000 crore over 20 years, according to a decision by the Advisory Committee on Government Purchase yesterday.

The Asian Development Bank’s (ADB) continued emphasis on fossil fuel projects is worsening Bangladesh’s economic, environmental, and energy vulnerabilities, according to new findings presented at the Bangladesh Energy Conference 2025.

Experts and civil society groups called for an urgent pivot toward renewable power, warning that the current investment pattern is locking the country into an expensive and unstable energy system.

Top political leaders attend Dhaka event; calls grow for rapid renewable expansion

At the Bangladesh Energy Conference 2025, civil society and political leaders endorsed a 13-point citizen manifesto urging an evidence-based national energy policy, rapid renewable expansion and anti-corruption reforms ahead of the 2026 elections to secure a just, climate-resilient future.

Environmental Activists have claimed on Sunday that that the Asian Development Bank's (ADB) decades-long focus on fossil fuel financing is exacerbating Bangladesh's energy, economic, and environmental vulnerabilities.

"After 2000, the ADB shifted toward direct financing of gas-fired power plants and combined-cycle efficiency upgrades-primarily through OCR loans. High-profile tenders were also initiated for the huge power plants including Sirajganj and Meghnaghat 450 MW gas plants,"

Bangladesh has so far received US$17.34 billion in 106 projects from the Asian Development Bank (ADB), including nearly $6.0 billion for 36 gas-focused schemes that collectively support 3,659MW generation capacity, a new study has revealed.

Civil society groups say this long-standing reliance on fossil fuel lending is now undermining the country's energy security and climate resilience.

Bangladesh's mounting energy and economic strains are being intensified by the Asian Development Bank's (ADB) decades-long emphasis on fossil fuel financing, a new analysis revealed at the Bangladesh Energy Conference 2025 today (7 December).

Experts and civil society groups cautioned that the bank's gas-heavy investment model is steering Bangladesh toward an increasingly costly, risky, and unsustainable energy pathway, even as the rest of the world accelerates toward cleaner and more resilient alternatives.

Bangladesh’s energy experts warn that decades of ADB-backed fossil fuel investments are worsening the country’s fuel shortages, financial stress and climate risks, urging a rapid shift to renewables as new analysis shows gas-heavy projects remain idle, costly and environmentally damaging.

The Asian Development Bank’s (ADB) long-standing focus on fossil fuel financing is worsening Bangladesh’s energy, economic and environmental vulnerabilities, civil society experts warned Sunday, urging a decisive shift toward low-cost renewable power.

Despite legal indemnities, digital censorship and corporate pressure, the media in Bangladesh have gradually built a counter-narrative that exposed the fragility of the energy sector's development model, according to a study by the Coastal Livelihood and Environmental Action Network.

The Asian Development Bank’s (ADB) decades-long emphasis on fossil fuel financing is intensifying Bangladesh’s energy, economic and environmental vulnerabilities, according to a new civil society analysis presented at the Bangladesh Energy Conference 2025.

Experts warned that ADB’s continued reliance on gas-based power is locking Bangladesh into an expensive, fuel-dependent and unstable energy system, while renewable energy remains significantly underfunded despite rising global consensus in favor of low-cost, climate-resilient solutions.

Energy and climate experts at a discussion on Saturday urged the urgent revision of the Integrated Energy and Power Master Plan to increase the share of renewable energy in the country’s energy mix.

Bangladesh Working Group on Ecology and Development in collaboration with 16 national partner organisations held the discussion at the Bangladesh Military Museum in Dhaka city during the inauguration of the 3rd Bangladesh Energy Conference 2025.

Experts have urged an urgent revision of Bangladesh's Integrated Energy and Power Master Plan (IEPMP) to increase the share of renewable energy.

They came up with the call during the inauguration of the 3rd Bangladesh Energy Conference 2025 on Saturday at the Bangladesh Military Museum in DhakaEnvironment Adviser Rizwana was present as the chief guest.

China has cemented its position as Bangladesh's largest infrastructure partner through its Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). While these investments are crucial for development, experts highlighted serious social, environmental, and governance risks. They point to limited transparency in China-funded projects, gaps in environmental and labour safeguards, and inadequate engagement with affected communities.

Says a leader of ceramic manufacturers’ association

The country's ceramic industry is facing one of its toughest periods in recent years, as rising production costs driven by persistent energy shortages and weak domestic demand take a toll on manufacturers. Irfan Uddin, general secretary of the Bangladesh Ceramic Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BCMEA), highlighted the sector's challenges in an interview with The Daily Star.